Cut Finger…!

The other night a lady of independent status and advancing years, was at home doing the washing up at 3 in the morning…as you do. Whilst washing a bowl she inadvertently smashed it and cut her finger.

So rather than stick a plaster on it she rang the out of hours doctors service to get someone to tend to her wound. The doctor she spoke to on the phone advised her to go to A/E and to this end he arranged ambulance transport.

The crew duly turned up and saw the extent of the wound to the finger of this lady. Treatment was initiated stat on scene…quick wipe and a plaster was all that was required. The crew told me that it was a nick on the side of her index finger as they came into the mess-room shaking their heads with the odd expletive interjected into the description of the said break in the continuation of the skin.

About an hour later the station alerter sounded for us to travel on Blues & Twos back to the same address. I asked what was the problem and she replied that it was still bleeding and after ringing the doctor back he said that it sounded like it needed stitching! Once again the wound was looked at and redressed. Advice was given to the lady to contact her own doctor in the morning if there were any problems.

Later on, shortly after I had finished my night shift, another ambulance was sent to her on Blues & Twos. Again she had rung the out of hours doctor who again advised her to attend A/E! Again the crew stuck another plaster on!

Totally inappropriate response from the out of hours doctor service. If the doctor had gone out in the first place and seen the patient then he would have realised straight away that she did not require an ambulance or attendance at A/E!!!

Doctors are a bunch of lazy cunts. They should be made to attend to patients who call for them. I am fed up to the back teeth turning up at the front door of patients who look at me and my crewmate and say “But I wanted a Dr, not an ambulance. Why are you here?”